Haryana saw 60 rape cases a month in 2011

SONEPAT (Haryana): They were meeting to discuss how to calibrate their demand for reservations in government jobs. But the 100-odd old men, all clad in white, some turbaned, gathered in a dharamshala 40 kms from Delhi, as part of Sarv Jat Khap Panchayat, a community body of Haryana's Jats, spent the bulk of their time debating whether girls should be married young — well below the officially permissible age of 18.
Nineteen rapes in the last one month in Haryana forced a change in the agenda of the khap meeting. The rapes drew a flurry of responses: Congress President Sonia Gandhi visited a victim, Khap panchayat leader Sube Singh suggested lowering of marriageable age of girls to prevent rape which was endorsed by former chief minister and INLD leader Om Prakash Chautala. He claimed this was done during Mughal rule to save the honour of women.

But a look at National Crime Records Bureau data shows that if a rise in violence against women constitutes a return to the dark age, Haryana has not abruptly slipped into it — it was always there.

Last year, 725 women were raped in the state — an average of 60 women per month. This means the reported figure of 19 rapes over the last month is most likely inadequate. Since 2006, 50 women have been raped every month, barring 2007 when the number came down to 40. Over the last two years, the average has risen to 60 victims per month. Whether or not the media and politicians take note, violence against women is persistent and unrelenting - and not just in the state of Haryana.

In fact, a comparative analysis shows some of Haryana's neighbouring states fare worse. While Haryana has a rape incidence of 6.11, which means 6 rape victims per 1 lakh women, Madhya Pradesh has an incidence of 9.7, and Delhi 7.06. Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh have lower incidence: 3.61, 5.32, 2.41 per lakh women. Ranked for the incidence of rape, Haryana is tenth, Madhya Pradesh is fourth and Delhi seventh.

The states with the highest incidence of rape are Mizoram, Tripura and Assam. But the higher incidence could be a reflection of better reporting of cases of violence. The more patriarchal society, the greater the social stigma, and the lesser chance that a woman would report rape.

For instance, the 16 year-old Dalit girl gangraped in Hisar didn't confide in her parents for ten days. And when she did, her father committed suicide. This case was the first to be reported widely, and the outrage that followed, said local reporters, alerted them to every instance of rape, even those they would otherwise overlook.

Although there are no figures available that suggest this, the media glare has led most people to believe there has been an exceptional spike in cases of rape in Haryana. "Never before has so many rapes happened. If they had, there would have been hungama," said Dr Santosh Dahiya, a college professor who is president of the women's cell of Khap panchayats in Haryana and was the only woman who spoke at the Khap meeting on Friday, arguing against lowering the marriage age.

Another speaker, Baljeet Singh Malik, appeared to take a similar view. "A rapist has no age. He could be 60-years-old or 30-years-old. His victim could be a girl of three, 10 years, or a woman of 60 years. Lowering the marriage age would not bring down instances of rape," he said, in a calm, assured voice, before hastening to add, "But I still suggest we ask for a concession (in the Hindu Marriage Act). Since a girl's biological development is complete by the age of 12-13, if her parents wish to marry her, they should be allowed to do so."

Two hours later, the meeting remained inconclusive. But the idea had not been dropped. The Jat leaders told the media they needed to consult people from other communities. "We would call a Sarv Jaat (all caste) meeting very soon," said Kuldeep Singh Danda, the secretary of the Khap panchayat.

You might also like

more from times of india News

All Comments ()+^ Back to Top

Characters Remaining: 3000

Continue without login

or

Login from existing account

FacebookGoogleEmail

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.